Posted on 05/31/2005 4:06:20 AM PDT by aculeus
EDMONTON - China's doing things the rest of us don't even know about, and unless we change quickly they will streak past us, futurist Frank Ogden says.
"They are speeding ahead in so many areas because they have the ability to get big things done very quickly," the man known as Dr. Tomorrow told the Construction Specifications Canada conference here.
"They're very smart, they think differently from us, and they have no restrictions on anything," said Ogden, an 84-year-old world traveller who lives on a high-tech houseboat in Vancouver.
In three weeks they relocated the residents of a large city block in Shanghai, bulldozed the buildings and built a 1,000-bed isolation hospital using 10,000 conscripted workers, Ogden said.
On the last day of construction, a stream of ambulances was bringing in patients.
"They work 15 hours a day, every day, with no union interference, and that's what's going to beat us," Ogden told the gathering of architects, engineers and other construction-related sectors.
Their wages have also doubled in the last couple of years to 28 cents an hour, so the workers think they're making big money.
And China's not only manufacturing pots and pans any more. It's producing quality, intricate items such as scientific instruments, he said.
"The infrastructure stinks, but they're working on that. And when they decide to do something it happens in a hurry."
They also have no restrictions on reproductive technology so they could clone people and rent them out to North America, which is facing a shortage of workers, said Ogden, with a wink.
North America's future will be vastly different as China's economy grows and the world keeps moving ahead at warp speed, he said.
Nine-to-five jobs will become a piece of history as we put in almost full days on the job, he predicted.
"We also have to learn much faster or other countries will do it and sell it back to us. The current, inefficient university lecture system will have to replaced, and he sees a day when we're all using new Sony technology that puts information into our brain patterns while we're asleep. "That was in the realm of science fiction for years, but just imagine how quickly you can absorb information that way."
Companies will also have to become incredibly creative to compete globally, Ogden said.
"Don't even think of a box, never mind outside it. Every company should have a smart 12-year-old who thinks off-the-wall. In China they've just grown a monkey's heart, and if you can do that you can do anything."
dfinlayson@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2005
Did I miss the memo? Is it All-kneel-down-for-the-Communists day in Canada again? I thought that was last week.
Since a bunch of the Chinese are women, I would imagine that some of the feminists (epecially the college types) will be making a lot of noise about this statement . . . . . . . . . . . . or maybe not.
If they don't self destruct through pollution. Most of their rivers and ground water is incredibly polluted and you don't want to breath in their big cities. Read somewhere that the average mainlander gets less than 1/3 the average clean water of the rest of the world, and it's getting worse.
Before taking this guy seriously, take a look at his website. He lives on an igloo house boat in Canada and calls himself Dr. Tomorrow.
http://www.drtomorrow.com/
He doesn't actually seem to have "qualifications"
And who's the benefactor??? It's certainly not the regular people...
George B and company is doing his best to take us down this path...And he's doing a good job of it...
Funny thing is, too many Americans think they're going to get in on this scheme and make their money at the hands of the working guy...And right now, it's working...Buying this cheap junk from China at pennies on the dollar and selling it to Americans for what a similar American item would cost is makeing more than a few heads turn...
Before long, we will be working for the same wages the Chinese are...Have to just to have a job...
The same was said of Nazi Germany and the USSR. By trampling indivual freedom and political dissent, it was thought they were unbeatable. I'll keep my money on personal liberty.
Guess I'll be living in a cabin somewhere in the backcountry.
Doncha remember?
This was done previously by the USSR in the 1950s, then by Japan in 1980s. It looks like that China will do it before Brazil which is poised to surpass the West in 4822 A.D.
ping
Except they don't have free speech, can't critique their own government, and their Internet is filtered for 'subversive' content. Other than a million restrictions like these, they have no restrictions on anything.
Bullsh*t, Mr Finlayson.
Bullsh*t!
"They're [chicoms] very smart, they think differently from us, and they have no restrictions on anything" ...
yet admits they used "10,000 conscripted workers" to build that hospital.
All this as he sits dreaming his socialist thoughts in the comfort of his "high-tech houseboat" in Vancouver.
Methinks Ogden may be a bit put off by his accomodations in Heaven, though I have heard it said there is no slavery there.
The talk of delinking China's yuen from the dollar .... perhaps could cause a quick spike, but it seems to be they can't hide their corruption forever. Just a thought.
The author is a space case. Not that China isn't a huge menace but ....
On the internet anyone can anything to anyone at anytime. From your high speed connection on your high tech houseboat, in Vancouver.
Yeah sure. Actually, the rug can be pulled right out from China if their cheap labor becomes too pricey. You'd see foreign manufacturers pull their operations out of China fast looking for a better deal. China has a long ways to go when it comes to innovating ideas which really creates wealth, and may I point out, the US is world leader at innovation.
Haven't been in China since 1973. The place was an ecological disaster way back then. Since industrialization I can't imagine things there any way but ten times worse.
Soon the cancer rates and death from air and water pollution will start problems unforseen at this time.
GOOD.
Not a problem. You must have missed the part where this Vancouver rocket scientist said China would be cloning human worker ants.
Say again? That message came in rather garbled. ;)
AND this one.
(You're right...something is on!)
On the internet anyone can *SAY* anything to anyone at anytime. From your high speed connection on your high tech houseboat, in Vancouver.
I could do anything with 10,000 conscripted workers too! China is going to streak ahead with those conscripted workers - and the world will be a better place with China taking our place as the world's superpower - defending liberty and freedom everywhere.
One can only imagine just how further ahead the US would be if we didn't give untold billions to foriegn aid, didn't have our own media working against us or had the liberal left whining at every turn.
Is he not th first recipient of the University of Victoria "Cheech and Chong" award for Creative Herbology
Im sure the thousands dead in Tinamen think differently
china's doing well in some areas but that's only possible by forcing huge problems under the carpet.
The financial system in china is a scandal of untold proportions. Chances are most of common people's savings, in nationalized banks, are already toast coz china's banks are notoriously bloated with nonperforming assets and unrepayable loans (to other state units). When this bubble bursts, watch out for the repurcussions around the globe.
like more rats i mean chineese is what they need?
The Chinese economic system is closer to that of Nazi Germany than to the Red China of the Maoist era or the USSR under glasnost and perestroika or Lenin's New Economic Plan.
"They're very smart, they think differently from us, and they have no restrictions on anything..."
I think the Canadians have a lot of other things to worry about before they worry about the Chinese.
The bad news is they're racist.
The other bad news is that they have America's military secrets, thanks to the Clinton Administration.
The other bad news is that Europe is decadent.
The other bad news is that almost half of the U.S. voting population is also decadent--the Left: the "Mainstream Newsmedia", academia, Hollywood, the Democrat Party, et al.
The good news is that the Chinese are not Muslim.
Or from some shack in a tropical jungle. I'm very happy to see so many sane people who know that China is a primitive agrarian society that can think it's a world player because it doesn't understand the world. The MSM is probably happy that it can now have less trouble finding their really loopy input.
Anyway, Good Luck with your future plans.
China: LAND OF THE COPY!
China's pollution problems are so serious it would take several trillion US dollars to help resolve their pollution problems, especially air and water pollution that has already affect the health of many Chinese across that country.
Sounds like a plan. I'm aiming for Vietnam, which is lagging by far but will improve once the old Viet Minh fogies die off.
You should learn some Mandarin before you move to Beijing.
Jeez. I'll just slit my wrists now, thank you.
I don't know if you got pinged to this thread yet? This author is basically saying the same thing.
In the 1980's and 1990's, Japan, with their superior work ethic, greater brilliance, and amazing efficiency, was going to bury us.
In the 1970's and 1960's, Russia, with her parity in nuclear arms, more efficient production model, more-educated and culturally-aware populace was going to bury us.
In the 1940's, Germany, with it's vast technical superiority, fanatically-devoted populace, and amazing tactics, was going to bury us.
In the 1700's, Britain, with her amazing navy, disciplined troops, superior infrastructure, and technological advantage, was going to bury us.
Now they tell us China, with her efficient production, vastly-smarter populace, burgeoning population and incredible organizational skills are going to bury us.
Okay.
Yep - Slave labor always trumps capitalism.
Yep, now China's going to surpass the US. Next year we'll hear how the New Iraq© will surpass the US.
This is what will probably engulf them in civil war. The "haves" are rather blatently mistreating the "have-nots". Even in judicial matters, the "haves" can literally get away with murder of the "have-nots". There is great trouble brewing inside China.
(My wife is Chinese, and she reads news from China.)
The grocery stores are jaw-dropping. At least 2 employees lurk in EVERY aisle. I don't know if this is how they try to correct unemployment statistic problems, but it is clear why the wages remain low. Interestingly enough, despite the huge volume of aisle helpers (who don't speak English, so I muddle along on my own), the vash registers have only one person... no baggers to help cut the check-out time in half!
Another problem they are desperately trying to resolve: judicial competence. The rule of Law is relatively young here, and few judges outside of the cities (China is 65% rural) have legal training. They are appointed by local gov't, and are often beholden to politicians. Corruption is also a major hurdle. China now mandates that all new judges have legal training, but the pass rate for the Chinese Bar exam is incredibly low (10%?), and this is a huge need to fill the many positions. It will take at least a generation to make enough of a dent that these problems will begin to subside... but getting rid of the taint may take even longer.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.